15 Comforting Psalms for Healing to Pray and Encourage Loved Ones

15 Comforting Psalms for Healing to Pray and Encourage Loved Ones

We tend to feel most in distress when we, or a loved one, go through a sickness or surgery or ailment. During such times, we cry out to the Lord in distress, and he hears our call. God often may heal us on this side of the world, or in the next life. But he is our healer, our comforter, our great physician. Below we've compiled some Psalms for healing and encouragement. Pray over these Psalms as God works in the lives of you and your loved ones.

For other great Psalms for healing, check out this article here.

Psalm 6

"Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love" (Psalm 6:2).

If anyone understood pain, it was the psalmists, in particular, David. We may often find ourselves crying out "how long?" when we experience anguish. But God's unfailing love is with us, no matter what.

Psalm 25

"Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish" (Psalm 25:17).

The psalmists don't hold back. How beautiful that we can approach the throne of God so boldly and ask the aid of him. We can cry out for relief and know that God will answer our call.

Psalm 27

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14).

One of the hardest parts of sickness is the waiting time. We spend a great deal of time in waiting rooms, hoping to hear news about how our loved ones are healing. Thankfully, we have a dependable God upon whom we can wait.

Psalm 30

"LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me" (Psalm 30:2).

God doesn't abandon us. When we call to him for help, he obliges. It may not always be how we picture it, but he does come through for us, and constantly works behind the scenes.

Psalm 31

“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place” (Psalm 31:7-8 ESV).

God not only sees our affliction but he doesn't leave us in Sheol. This is probably why Jesus healed so many people during his time on earth. Not only to display God's glory but to show his heart. That he seeks to bind up the wounds of the afflicted.

Psalm 34

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken” (Psalm 34:19-20 ESV).

Often sickness can come without warning, and it can feel like we're being afflicted. But God preserves us and protects us.

Psalm 41

"Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble" (Psalm 41:1).

How wonderful are the friends and family who surround us in our most desperate hour! The ones who provide crockpot meals, who pray for us in their small groups, who message us to see how we are holding up. 

Psalm 61

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2).

God is the rock of refuge. The rock that is higher than us. Even in our deepest valley, God leads us out of it toward him.

Psalm 73

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26).

When we fail, God doesn't. We may give in to despair and doubt, but God doesn't hate us for it. He understands. John the Baptist, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, so many great men doubted, and yet, God didn't fail to uphold his covenant.

Psalm 91

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart" (Psalm 91:4).

Don't you just love this imagery? I can imagine God shielding us with his wings, like a mother hen. During times of illness, everything can feel like it's launched into limbo. But God holds us, protects us, carries us, shields us.

Psalm 94

"When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy" (Psalm 94:18-19).

God holds us in his hand. He will not allow us to fall. Pain and anguish are temporary. But we have an eternal joy to look forward to, where no tears of sadness are shed.

Psalm 103

"Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion" (Psalm 103:2-4).

I love the wording "redeems your life from the pit." How often do we find ourselves in the pit? In the waiting, the hurting? Hallelujah that we have such a gracious God who willingly makes beauty out of our pit seasons.

Psalm 109

“With my mouth, I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death” (Psalm 109:30-31 ESV).

We praise God in the midst of the throng. Not just when he heals us. For he has given us so many things to be thankful for.

Psalm 143

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life" (Psalm 143:8).

Sickness can often feel like the darkest hour of the night. In fact, many of us will spend time in the hospital before the sun will rise, awaiting news. Thankfully, joy comes in the morning with our Lord. We trust our lives with him and know he will not allow us to fall.

Psalm 147

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I love the imagery of God swaddling our wounds with gauze. He doesn't just allow other people to take care of the messy healing process for him. He goes in, gets his hands dirty, exposes himself to disease, to make sure that we see healing. Think about the lepers that he healed, the "unclean" people he was unafraid to touch to make sure they experienced the healing power of God.

Sickness and disease can often launch us into our most despairing of moments. But praise the Lord that we have a healer and a comforter on our side. I hope these Psalms were helpful and highly encourage reading through the Psalms whenever you experience times of hardship. David truly understood anguish, but he also understood the mighty power of our all-powerful God.

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Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.